The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-02-25
CAPTURED BY A WOMAN

ChloagO Mil, As&
when Scn01ldtF had Fetfe a6sl 0sE
Nashville after tho battle Of Frank.
lin, Hood followed him Hp and
invested the city. lie wasn't
Strong enough to capture tue place,
aud SchOtield wasn't strong enough
to come out, and NO matters stood
until Grant could send up Thomas
with reinforcement and take the
aggressive.
1t was during this period of mac
tivity that l was senG into Nash
vile to observe what the Union
forces were doug and pick up such
points as might be ofyalue to Gen
eral Hood. While scouting is dan.
gercus huff, the scout who turns
spy doubles his risk and dangers
at once.
1t was lett to mo to decide what
character | should take, and twcn-
ty four hours after my talk with
the General | was in Nashville. |
had turned farmer, aud | went in
with horse and buggy. | had
corn to sell TO the quarternaster,
and tho reason wasn't in he rebel
army was because Of my being still
in the lett leg and so nigh-sIghted
that my eyes were good for nothIn'
arler dark. | bad to dO u little
practicing to keep my knees stiff
and git "a natural limp To my gait,
and the niSh-SiglNed dizziness had
to be worked up and kept in mind.
1t Was sol. for me that had u
pIausIb;S story ready cooked, for l
was at once taken before the pro-
yOst marsllal and questioned in the
sharpest manner. l lived eighteen
miles away; 4 bad 400 bushels Of
corn to sell; ladn't lit on either
side; | voted a.in secession. This
was my story, and arter brow.
beating mo fur spell Twas turned
loose to find tho qnarter'naStcr aud
make i bargain with him.
The city was biliu' full of rclu.
gees, and there WAS u heap of con
fusion and excitement. Ii seemed
as ii one might move about under
such circumstances and not be suS
pccted; but didn't want to take
any chances. ] was huntin' up u
stoppin' place when l lit upon -
quiet street and had tho luck to hit
house Kept by q widow. Thore |
were only five or SIX b0arders, and |
none OF these belonged to he army. |
There were two women, two Yam
kee cottOn buyers, Il store clerk or
two, and myself Say tho widow
10 me as | paid her three days
board in advancei
s'Ifanyone shoald ask yonr busi-
ness in town, should | say you
were specuIatorfF
"NO, marin; jist remark to the
effect that l am John Sts 'On,
farmer, and that Pm tryin' to sell
forage to the Yankees"
sYOu seem lame"
'Sartin, marin. This ERE stiff
knee has Wimtered and sumInered
withme for gOin' Oh twelve years."
"And are your eyes weak ~
'sPOwerful, marm. manage to
poke around fairly well by day
light, but arter sun'lOwD I'm no
good. kin see TO get around, but
Ihat's all. Weakness OF the eyes
IS grea: afllictiOn, ularm.a
1t was in the forenoon that |
engaged board with the widow,
and was promptly on hand ut din
ler and supper. Tho other board
srs scarcely gave me second look,
aud each one was apparently salts
led with The first, but must say
hat dinner was not yet over when
1 sirnck mo that the widow was Il
mighty inquisitive woman for such
.imes as those. She wauted to
Know all about my farm and family ;
and nabms, and somehow it didn't
seem as It MY answers exactly suit. /,
ID her. Howsnmcver, dismissed /,
her from my mind Witlrdnner, aud
iurin' the altefnOon. was TOO busy
10 remember how she had question
Ell me. Ii
| spent the day wandering about
aud taking notes aud posting my |
self as far as possible on the
strength Of the amy aud sort Of |
lefences being thrown up~ l did
not 60 out after supper, which meal {
vas served BY lamplishf, and at an !
,arly hour went of TO bed. The
-oom given me had been a uOrt OF !
upstairs store room for the house. {
q bit of carpet bad been laid ON |
he floor and bed pat up, and
while things were tolerably clean
here was a bare aud lonesome look
i things, Howsumever, it was
Ear times, and thousands would
ave reckOued themselves well oil 9
o secure sich qaarters.
I had gone TO my room early, :
lot because I was sleepy but l l
santed to look over my notes Z
,it and rewrite them On thin paper |
Iad secrpie them where they could .